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Summer Camps 2025
We will return with "Meet the Greeks" & "Meet the Romans" in June, 2025. Please direct any questions to the Director, Ariana Traill at traill@illinois.edu.
A hands-on meeting with the ancient world”: an LAS News story about the camps (July 19, 2024).
Meet the Romans!
“Meet the Romans” introduces kids to ancient Roman civilization. Learn stories about gods, heroes, and monsters, as well as the lives of ordinary Roman kids. Put on your toga as you create your own Roman arts and crafts, and learn some Latin, too. Latin is a great way to boost advanced English vocabulary: 90% of English words of more than two syllables come from Latin. There are different activities in each half-week session.
2025 Dates and Times: TBA
Note: There are different activities each week and different instructors, for campers who wish to attend more than one session
Ages: 8-11
Class size: 16-20 children with two instructors, two CITs & adult volunteers as available
Location: TBA
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Meet the Greeks!
“Meet the Greeks” introduces kids to ancient Greek civilization. Learn about Greek myths, like the stories of Perseus and Medusa or Artemis and Apollo. Discover the original Olympics and learn about the lives of real ancient Greek kids. Try wearing Greek clothing and check out ancient toys. Create your own Greek arts and crafts and learn a little language too! Greek roots abound in English. There are different activities in each half-week session.
2025 Dates and Times: TBA
Note: There are different activities each session and each week and different instructors for campers who wish to attend more than one session.
Ages: 8-11
Class size: 16-20 children with two instructors, two CITs & adult volunteers as available
Location: TBA
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CAMP INFORMATION
Instructors: Instructors hold or are completing a BA/MAT/MA/PhD in Classics. For further information, see “Meet the Classics Staff” on the web site.
Cost: $130/week per camp ($260/both camps - full day), plus $35 materials and registration processing fee per child. Minimum registration is one-week half-days.
Limited need-based scholarship aid available. Contact the director for further information.
Curriculum: Our language learning goal areas are novice mid-level (one week) or novice high level (two or more weeks) as per the Standards for Classical Language Learning, in compliance with ACTFL World Readiness Standards.
Location: On the University of Illinois Main Campus
Lunch: Lunch supervision provided for children who register for the full day.
Questions: Contact Ariana Traill, Classics Camps Director
Staff for 2024 (staff for 2025 TBA):
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Ariana Traill (she/her)
Camps Director
Ariana Traill (she/her) (BA Toronto 1991, PhD Harvard 1997) is an Associate Professor and Latin Program Coordinator in the Department of the Classics. She has run Classics Summer Camps since 2015. She advises future Latin teachers in the Foreign Language Teacher Education Program. Her professional experience includes teaching Latin, Greek and Classical Civilization the University of Illinois, since 2003. Her first teaching experience was in Latin, French and Music at a Canadian high school.
Contact: traill@illinois.edu Phone: (217) 621 - 9912
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Vaughn Fenton (he/him)
Lead teacher, “Meet the Romans”, June 3-7, mornings; Aide, “Meet the Greeks”, June 10-14, mornings and afternoons
Vaughn Fenton has a B.A in History and Classics from Virginia Tech. He is currently a Classics PhD student at the University of Illinois and is preparing for career as a scholar of Classics. At the University of Illinois, Vaughn has taught numerous Myth discussion sections and has assisted for a variety of classes, including Introduction to Ancient Greek Culture and Development of Ancient Cities. In his free time, he likes to paint and build models. See his academic profile.
Vaughn is returning for his second year in Classics Summer Camps.
Contact: vfenton2@illinois.edu
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Elisa Jennings (she/her)
Aide, “Meet the Greeks”, June 3-7, afternoons; Lead Teacher, “Meet the Greeks”, June 10-14, mornings
B.A. in Linguistics and Ancient Greek, Arizona State University 2021. Elisa is going into her final year of the M.A.T. in Latin program and is working towards becoming a high school Latin teacher. Elisa has taught college students beginner Latin for years, and is excited to enrich the minds of even more students with Classics. She has taught 5th graders to college students and knows everybody can take away great wisdom from antiquity. At the University of Illinois, she has taught “Elementary Latin I and II” (LAT 101, 102) and “Mythology of Greece and Rome” (CLCV 115, section leader). See her academic profile.
Elisa is returning for her third year in Classics Summer Camps.
Contact: etj3@illinois.edu
Jackson Gregory (he/him)
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Aide, “Meet the Greeks”, June 3-7, afternoons; Lead Teacher, “Meet the Greeks”, June 10-14, afternoons
B.A in Classical Civilization, Bowling Green State University, 2023, currently a first year M.A. student at the University of Illinois. He is preparing for a career as a scholar of Classics. At the University of Illinois, he has taught “Mythology of Greece and Rome” (CLCV 115, section leader). See his academic profile.
This is Jackson’s first year in Classics Summer Camps.
Contact information: jtg7@illinois.edu
Jillian White (she/her)
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Aide, “Meet the Romans”, June 3-7, mornings
B.A. in Greek & Latin Philology and Cognitive Science from Case Western Reserve University, magna cum laude, 2021, currently a Classics PhD student at the University of Illinois. is preparing for career in Classics teaching at the university level. Her professional experience includes tutoring undergraduate university students in Latin and Greek and roles as an assistant camp counselor at other K-8 summer day camps. See her academic profile.
Jillian is returning for her second year in Classics Summer Camps.
Contact information: jgwhite2@illinois.edu
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Counselor in Training Program
Are you aged (14-16) and interested in ancient Greek and Roman stories and culture? Do you enjoy working with kids? Classics Summer Camps welcomes applications for our new Counselor in Training Program.
Responsibilities
- Participate fully in camps activities and be a positive influence. Camps run according to a schedule of activities distributed at the beginning of each week.
- Help children master new skills, complete projects, and have fun in a safe, friendly environment.
- Work cooperatively with camps instructors to provide a positive experience for all campers.
- Be willing to learn and use new information about Greco-Roman antiquity, including some Latin and/or Greek.
Training
One hour orientation covering safety, camps code of conduct, camps activities, and skills needed to work with children, including classroom management, before camps begin. The rest of the training will take place during camps. CIT’s will be supported in developing leadership skills.
Hours
Up to 20 hours per session (= one week half days).
Cost: $60.00 per session (= one week half days). No registration fee.
Application
To apply, please send a short (150-200 word) statement about why you would like to be a counselor in training to Prof. Ariana Traill, Director, Classics Summer Camps (traill@illinois.edu) by May 1, 2025. Applicants will be asked to participate in a short Zoom interview with parents/legal guardians present. Application will remain open until all positions are filled.